OVERALL DESCRIPTION (Taken directly from the application) This proposal, from a group of established scientists at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC), is in response to RFA DK-00-014: to establish an NIH-funded center with the mission of providing phenotyping services related to diabetes and its complications to diverse scientists and investigators. Six Cores are proposed: 1) Administrative/Statistical Core will be responsible for processing requests, record test results, perform statistical analyses, take care of budgetary issues, purchase of supplies and equipment, post information about the types of tests offered and protocol used on the Center?s web site; 2) Animal Care Core will receive, house, feed, and genotype the incoming mice as well as maintain them in excellent condition during the period of phenotypic testing; 3) Animal lipid, lipoprotein, and glucose metabolism Core will study lipid and glucose metabolism and measure gastrointestinal hormones known to influence insulin secretion; 4) Cardiovascular and Renal Core will provide numerous assessments of the functioning of the cardiovascular and renal systems; 5) Food Intake, Energy Metabolism, and Body Weight Regulation will assess simple and detailed parameters of energy intake (food intake) and energy expenditure (including use of indirect calorimetry) and determine body composition and fat content; and 6) Immunology Core and Islet transplantation will perform the isolation of mouse islets and study T and B cell functions, immune responses, and type I diabetes auto-immunity. We believe that our collective experience and expertise make our proposal unique and competitive, and we are excited at the prospect of collaborating on this important initiative.